supply Hear it!

supply¹ Definition

sup·ply (sə plī′)

transitive verb -·plied′, -·ply′·ing

  1. to give, furnish, or provide (what is needed or wanted) to supply tools to workers
  2. to meet the needs or requirements of; furnish, provide, or equip with what is needed or wanted to supply workers with tools
  3. to compensate for; make good to supply a deficiency
  4. to act as a substitute in; fill or serve in temporarily to supply another's pulpit

Etymology: ME supplyen < MFr supplier < L supplere, to fill up < sub-, sub- + plere, to fill: see full

intransitive verb

to serve as a temporary substitute

noun pl. -·plies′

  1. the act of supplying
  2. an amount or quantity available for use; stock; store
  3. materials, provisions, etc. for supplying an army, expedition, a business, etc.; sometimes, specif., provisions for an army other than materiel, vehicles, etc.
  4. Chiefly Brit. an amount of money granted for government expenses; appropriation
  5. a temporary substitute, as for a minister
  6. Obsolete
    1. aid; assistance
    2. reinforcements
  7. Econ. the amount of a commodity available for purchase at a given price

adjective

  1. having to do with a supply or supplies
  2. serving as a substitute

supply¹ Related Forms
sup·pli′er noun
supply² Definition

sup·ply (sup′lē)

adverb

in a supple manner; supplely

supply Synonyms

supply

n.

  1. A quantity

    stock, hoard, accumulation, amount, number; see also quantity.

  2. Provisions; plural

    rations, food supply, groceries, raw materials, materials on hand, stores, stocks, replenishments; see also equipment.

supply Synonyms

supply

v.

furnish, fulfill, outfit; see provide 1, satisfy 3.

supply Usage Examples

Object

  • electricity: This source supplies electricity together with heating and cooling.

Converse of object

  • outstrip: Application needs to be made as early as possible in the preceding year of intending study as the demand for places usually outstrips supply.
  • ensure: Steam driven cotton and silk mills ensured local supplies of yarn.
  • disrupt: They were intended to cause administrative chaos and disrupt supplies.

Adjective modifier

  • plentiful: Habitats with a plentiful supply of field voles appeared to support greater breeding success in barn owls.
  • adequate: Over 1 billion people lack access to an adequate supply of safe water.
  • constant: The retina at the back of the eye requires a constant blood supply.
  • electrical: The electrical supply on the islands is 240 volts ac.
  • abundant: It was thoroughly well drained and had an abundant supply of water.
  • short: With natural foods in short supply, garden feeding is vital to their survival.

Modifies a noun

  • chain: Thousands of the world's poorest people depend on global supply chains to survive.
  • voltage: This voltage has opposite polarity to the supply voltage on the coil.
  • pipe: Every property on the shared supply will be jointly responsible for a replacement of a shared supply pipe.

Noun used with modifier

  • electricity: Office for gas & electricity markets Ofgem is a government office which can supply information on the your gas and electricity supplies.
  • water: Cold Water Supply System Any external water supply is almost always a cold water supply.
  • power: However you should never connect it already the first time to the computer power supply.
  • blood: Part of the blood supply to the brain may then be cut off, which causes a stroke.
  • energy: Future energy supply is high on the public agenda.
  • gas: Our statutory duties under the Home Energy Conservation Act are onerous given the nature of our housing stock and lack of mains gas supplies.

Preposition: of

  • alcohol: A Designated Premises Supervisor is the person specified on the Premises License who is responsible for authorizing the supply of alcohol.